The removal of the epidermis of various fruits and vegetables by abrasion is generally well-known. Improvements in such apparatus have usually been accomplished to improve the production rate by increasing the amount of product passing through. It is obviously necessary that the primary requirement for effective operation of the apparatus is that the entire surface of the individual product come into contact with the abrasive surface for an appropriate period of time to assure complete and satisfactory peeling.
One apparatus suitable for efficiently removing epidermis is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,413, issued on May 26, 1964, and entitled: Apparatus For Peeling Fruits 0r Vegetables. In this apparatus the product is passed through a rotary drum having the periphery formed by a plurality of individually rotating abrasive-coated rolls. Thus the drum is rotated and the individual rolls are driven so as to abrade the surface of the product as it tumbles through the drum. In addition a center-positioned helicoid is rotated to impart a rotative force on the product opposite from that of the rotary drum so as to bring the product into contact with the drum periphery more often.
In this apparatus, water is introduced along the entire length of the interior of the drum to carry away the peel particles which are separated from the product body. This water mixes with the abraded peel material and is carried downward between the outer rolls to exit the apparatus through a bottom collection structure. It is common to introduce 30 gallons or more of water per minute into such apparatus which, with the abraded peel material, must be disposed of. Such disposal has presented a considerable problem in that present regulations in many communities prevent the introduction of such material into sewer lines or the sewer taxes are uneconomical and a private waste treatment plant is tremendously expensive. In addition, with water becoming more scarce in many localities the amount of water used has become important in the operation of the overall process.
Thus not only the quantity of water used but the disposal of the waste material has become an important consideration in the operation of such peeling apparatus. In addition, the abraded peel material from many products is now being used as an important ingredient of cattle food and the like thereby changing the character of the peel material from a waste material to one that can be sold or used separate from the product. However with the mixture of the abraded peel material with water, spoilage is accelerated and the handling of the material is greatly complicated. In some instances, it may cost more to dry the material for subsequent usage than the actual worth of the material.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide an apparatus which peels products with a minimum usage of water while enabling the reclaiming of the abraded peel material in a dry state more suitable for other uses.